Reformátusok Lapja, 1972 (72. évfolyam, 1-7. szám)

1972-01-01 / 1. szám

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REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA

activity; that there we might carry out His plan and accomplish His sacred purpose with the full energy of our abilities, and the full use of our strength, honestly and conscientiously; if need be, at the sacrifice of our own lives. And in the fulfilment of this service we are responsible not only for our own deeds, but also for our thoughts, in fact, for our feelings.

III. “// you hear the word at my mouth” . . . This short conditional sentence is the definition of Christian life and the criterion of our self-sacrificing service. We are forced to admit that our life is most vulnerable at this point; it is here that we suffer shipwreck most frequently. Because we do not live according to the commandments of God. We do not profess what He says. Our heart and lips utter beguiling words of human wisdom. And above all we do not speak where and when we should. This makes us unfit to be followers of Jesus Christ and to do service to the glory of God; and this makes us unfit to do duty as watchmen. In order to gain the approval of the world, and for our own comfort, we sometimes rashly sacrifice our faith in God. . . “If you hear the word at my mouth.” Only then! Rather let our tongue be torn out, our body smashed to a pulp, but we must wait till this moment. But once we hear the Lord’s command, we must bravely — even sacrificing our comfort and taking every risk — accomplish the service entrusted to us.

And lastly, that God in His holy Word does not sentence us, but encourages us, and gives us a precious promise. “If thou hast warned the wicked from his wicked way,” that is, if you have accomplished faithfully the service that you were entrusted with, “Thou hast delivered thy soul.” This promise is our encouragement, our deliverence and the crown of our life.

Let me finish this sermon with a praying sigh: May

God, our heavenly Father whose Holy Spirit was an ever active power in the lives of the Prophets and Apostles bless His faithful servant, the first Bishop of the Calvin Synod: Right Reverend Arpad Beretz, and in his services for His everlasting Kingdom lead him from triumph to triumph, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Dr. Joseph Arvai-Zsiros

(Sermon preached at the ordination of Bishop Beretz) ----------------» »»--------------------"Tie <$nner 'Sanctuary

Speak to us, Lord, Thyself reveal, While here o’er earth we rove,

Speak to our hearts, and let us feel The kindling of Thy love.

With Thee conversing, we forget All time and toil and care;

Labour is rest, and pain is sweet,

If Thou, my God, art here.

Thou callest us to seek Thy face,

Tis all we wish to seek;

To attend the whispers of Thy grace, And hear Thee only speak.

Let this our every hour employ,

Till we Thy glory see,

Enter into the Master’s joy,

And find our heaven in Thee.

— Charles Wesley

NATIONAL COUNCIL BOARD ENDORSES NEW STRUCTURE

A proposal to revamp the National Council of Churches, possibly making it a more inclusive ecumenical organization but retaining a centralized structure, is now under consideration by the NCC’s policy-making General Board.

The plan will be sent to the thirty- three Protestant and Orthodox member churches for study and recommendation. Implementation will require the endorsement of the NCC’s triennial General Assembly next year in Dallas.

Drafted by a special Committee on Future Ecumenical Structure (COFES), the new outline replaces a proposal for an extremely loose-knit organization. Last January, the General Board told COFES to come up with a proposal of a structure that would be more “cohesive and unifying.”

Dr. Thomas J. Liggett of Indianapolis, the top mission executive of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), headed the twenty-two-member drafting committee. Three “ecumenical imperatives” — wholeness, empowerment,

NEWS ITEMS

and communication—form the foundation for restructuring. The Liggett committee report said the churches “need a better representation of wholeness speaking to a nation and culture.” The door is left open in the plan for Roman Catholic membership and for the participation of non-NCC Protestant groups, such as the Southern Baptist Convention and the Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod, should they decide they want to affiliate.

The question of Roman Catholic membership in the NCC has been widely discussed in recent years. Joint study of the possibility has taken place, but, as Dr. Liggett noted, no application for membership has been received from the U.S. Roman Catholic Church. Roman Catholic observers were present, and Archbishop Philip M. Hannan of New Orleans took part in a worship service during the General Board sessions.

(“Presbyterian Life” Oct. 15, 1971)

A CHILD'S EYE VIEW OF "ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING"

(NOTE: OGHS-SOS is scheduled for March 12, 1972. The project suggested here, however, can most helpfully be announced in January.)

Have you heard about the great new opportunity for church school children to participate in the “One Great Hour of Sharing”? It’s a nationwide “One Great Hour of Sharing” Art Project for 1972. In case you aren’t familiar with this yearly opportunity for giving, the One Great Hour of Sharing is a nationwide, interdenominational offering received for emergency relief in disasters and developmental self-help projects all over the world.

Here’s how the art project works. In January and February, children are urged to create some art work that will express their own ideas about the One Great Hour of Sharing.

You can then display these as an art exhibit to your congregation on the Sundays of Lent, (Feb. 20 - March 26) making clear that the purpose of the exhibit is to focus attention on the meaning and importance of this special